CES 2009

Monday, LG announced the first TVs with built-in Netflix streaming, due to arrive in the U.S. this spring. The models will go by the generic name "Broadband HDTVs," but we have a feeling they'll be known as "Netflix TVs" soon enough. The plasmas and LCDs are equipped with Ethernet jacks that allow them to stream movies and TV shows from Netflix, including HD content when available.

Netflix currently offers online streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows, dubbed "Watch Instantly," to its customers who pay $8.99 per month and up. But you need to connect an external device, like the Roku Netflix player, an Xbox 360, a TiVo DVR, a specially equipped Blu-ray player like the Samsung BD-P2550 or LG BD300, or even a PC, to enjoy it on your TV.

LG's upcoming plasmas and LCDs will be the first TVs to stream Netflix directly.

(Credit: LG)

The LG TVs eliminate the need for an external device. They will cost around $300 more than similar LG models that lack the streaming capability--a pretty steep premium considering that you can get a Roku for $99 or an Xbox 360 for $199, but a premium typical of any technology "first."

"It's hugely symbolic," said Netflix's chief executive, Reed Hastings. "The holy grail has always been to give the TV an Internet jack in addition to the cable jack. It's an early glimpse of the long-term future." ... Read more

The FS22 comes in shiny black.

(Credit: Canon USA)

In addition to introducing a cheaper model into its standard-definition SD-card-based camcorder lineup, the FS200, Canon is offering updated versions of its FS10/11 models from last year. The FS21 and FS22 will likely offer more aggressive pricing and definitely sport more compact bodies than their predecessors. Though they both use the same 1.07-megapixel CCD and 48X Advanced Zoom lens, each offers another 8GB built-in memory--16GB in the FS21 and 32GB for the FS22. The latter also includes a wireless remote.

New features that Canon introduces include Video Snapshots, 4 second clips used to create a "highlights reel" effect (the camcorders ship with a music CD); quick charges in 10 minutes per half hour of battery life; an electronic lens cover and video light; 3-second prerecord; and Dual Shot for capturing photos while shooting video.

Price and availability are still TBD.

The FS200 comes in silver, red and blue.

(Credit: Canon USA)

Canon brings its flash-memory-based entry-level down a notch, introducing the FS200: an SD-based version of the ZR960 and DC410. Yes, it's designed differently, but it incorporates the same 680,000-pixel CCD and 41x Advanced Zoom lens as those two models. Plus, it incorporates a mic and headphone jack which makes models like these attractive to the education market. You can get it in blue, silver, or red.

Price and availability are still TBD.

Canon's sole MiniDV model.

(Credit: Canon USA)

MiniDV isn't dead, but it's getting close: Canon, at least, has reduced its 2009 MiniDV product line down to a single model geared to the education market. The survivor, the ZR960, is almost identical to 2008's ZR900: it has the same 680,000-pixel sensor, 41x Advanced Zoom lens, and no changes to the chipset. What's new? An LCD-based Quick Start option and support for 30.5mm filters.

No pricing or availability info as yet.

The HF S10, Canon's top consumer HD camcorder.

(Credit: Canon USA)

Many companies turn out SD-based camcorders in compact designs, simply because the flash-based technologies allow for much smaller models than those based on tape, hard disks and mini DVDs. While Canon will continue to offer compact AVCHD models in 2009, the HF20 and HF200, the company's branches out with slightly more "pro" prosumer offerings in the Vixia HF S10 and Vixia HF S100. These two models feature a larger, fast f1.6 10X HD lens and a relatively large, high-resolution 1/1.26-inch 8-megapixel CMOS sensor, along with higher-end capabilities, such as SMPTE color bars, the ability to manually boost gain up to 18dB, fixed 70 and 100 IRE zebra stripes and a user-assignable button.

The camcorders also take advantage of capabilities introduced with the Digic DV III processor, like improved face detection--Canon claims it can identify faces at oblique angles as well as preselect faces--enhanced autoexposure with the company's Auto Lighting Optimizer, and better noise reduction.

Finally, the models incorporate the features added into the FS series: Video Snapshots, 4-second clips used to create a "highlights reel" effect (the camcorders ship with a music CD); quick charges in 10 minutes per half hour of battery life; an electronic lens cover and video light; 3-second prerecord; and Dual Shot for capturing photos while shooting video.

The only difference between the two models is memory configuration: the HF S10 has 32GB built in while the HF S100 has none.

Price and availability are still unknown.

Freescale Semiconductor is expected to launch new silicon for Netbooks--devices that it believes will come in below $200--at the Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas.

The ARM chip architecture-based i.MX51 processor is designed to enable "low-power, gigahertz performance netbooks at sub-$200 price points," according to Freescale, formerly Motorola's chipmaking arm.

Freescale envisions sub-$200 Netbooks

(Credit: Freescale Semiconductor)

The definition of a Netbook seems to get redefined every month, as different companies push their distinct vision of the device. And Freescale is no different. While Freescale, like Intel, believes the Netbook is a companion device to the PC, it envisions devices that are more frugal with power consumption and run the Linux operating system. Intel-based Netbooks using the Atom processor typically offer better performance than ARM-based devices and run the Windows XP operating system.

"Because the primary function (of a Netbook) is accessing the Internet, Linux and Firefox are a good operating system and application for that purpose," Glen Burchers, director global marketing for Freescale's consumer products group, said in an interview.

He doesn't see ARM competing directly with Intel Atom processors, which target a higher-end Netbook segment. "ARM based processors can have a play, in addition to x86 (Intel)," Burchers said. 'We don't believe ARM processor will replace x86, but will augment them for a certain segment of the market." Ideally, the Freescale chip would be used in Netbooks that get about eight hours of battery life and sport an 8.9-inch screen.

And ABI Research, a market research firm, forecasts that there should be plenty of space for competing visions of the Netbook over the next several years. ABI expects consumers to purchase 60 million netbooks in 2013, compared with only 182,000 sold in 2007.

Freescale has been working with Pegatron, a wholly owned Asus subsidiary, to develop a reference design that features the 1GHz ARM Cortex A8-based i.MX51 processor, Canonical's Ubuntu operating system, Adobe's Flash Player software, a new power management chip, and the SGTL5000 ultra low-power audio codec.

Freescale's netbook reference design is available now. The company says it is currently sampling the i.MX51 processor and MC13982 power management device to tier-one Netbook customers. Volume production for the i.MX51 device is planned for Q2 2009 to power netbooks designed for the 2009 holiday shopping season, Freescale said.

(Note about Apple Netbook speculation: Freescale says that the "speculation is inaccurate" that its i.MX51 chip will be used in an Apple Netbook, as some reports have stated. "Freescale's netbook approach is unambiguously an ARM/Linux play, and any suggestion otherwise is inaccurate," a Freescale spokesman said Sunday night.)

Really like copper accents? Try the Lenovo Y650.

Kicking off the first wave of CES laptop announcements (and beating the competition by about 24 hours), Lenovo is bolstering its consumer-targeted IdeaPad line with a few new models, highlighted by the 16-inch Y650.

The new Y series includes the 16-inch Y650, the 15-inch Y550, and the 14-inch Y450. All will share a similar design, with a black, "interlocked hexagon pattern," on the lid and a copper accent band around the edge.

The 16:9 displays on all three point towards multimedia use, as does the Dolby Home Theater Surround Sound-branded audio. Both audio and video settings can be accessed from a quick-launch button that launches a software app called the OneKey Theater (hey, we just write about this stuff, we don't come up with the names).

A touch-sensitive slide bar above the screen acts as an app-switcher, and the touch pad now supports some Mac-like multitouch gestures, including image zooming.

All three models have Intel Centrino 2 class CPUs, Nvidia graphics, and optional Blu-ray drives. Look for the 16-inch Y650 in February, and the Y550 and Y450 in March. They start at $1,199 for the IdeaPad Y650, $829 for the IdeaPad Y550 and Y450.

Lenovo's S10 Netbook.

We liked the S10 Netbook from Lenovo, so we're pleased to see the company not messing with success and making only minor revisions to it, in what might be the first official laptop announcement from this year's CES show.

The 10-inch S10, most notable for its ExpressCard/34 slot, is getting an instant-on secondary operating system, as well as VeriFace facial-recognition software (we've seen facial-recognition systems work well, but also not work at all, depending on the system, lighting conditions, lunar cycle, and a ton of other variables). With decent configs starting at only $399, the S10 is one of a small handful of go-to Netbooks we rely on these days.

The updated IdeaPad S10 should be available in January.

Update: We also had some information on an update to Lenovo's IdeaPad U110 ultraportable, but Lenovo is apparently holding off on making that announcement until later in 2009.

The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off next week, and premature product news releases and apparent leaks have already been rolling in.

While there's of course a certain amount of surprise in store at the year's biggest tech showcase, there likely won't be anything too unexpected. But that's OK. With the global economy's lashing of some of the biggest and most successful consumer electronics companies, along with the recession here in the U.S., this seems to invite a more subdued type of affair this year in Las Vegas.

The head of the CEA (the company that puts on CES) told Venture Beat that it will indeed be a smaller show than in years past. Attendance will be down 8 percent to 131,000 visitors this year, according to Gary Shapiro. And floor space devoted to exhibitor booths will also be down slightly, to 1.7 million square feet, from 1.8 million in 2008. The number of exhibitors however will remain the same as last year, about 2,700.

That's because though some big-name attendees have dropped out--as CNET News reported in November--some new exhibitors have signed on.

When it comes to products, to know what's in store at the show this time, easy clues can be taken from what many of these same manufacturers were showing at Ceatec in Tokyo in October.

Thin TVs will be big. We just started to see this at CES 2008, and the top-tier TV makers will renew their battle for slimmest set this time. Expect Sharp, Samsung, Hitachi, and Toshiba to compete for thinnest LCD, and a few will try with plasma as well.

LG Electronics will add video streaming features from CinemaNow and YouTube to its 2009 lineup of networked Blu-ray players, the company said Tuesday.

The company will be showing off the new functionality at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) next week in Las Vegas. (Click here for CNET's complete coverage of CES 2009.)

LG launched its first network-connected Blu-ray player in July with partner Netflix. As part of the deal, viewers get access to more than 12,000 movies and TV shows from Netflix.

With Tuesday's announcement, LG Blu-ray customers will also get access to 14,000 movies and TV shows from CinemaNow. And they will be able to stream millions of Web videos directly from the Internet to an LG Network Blu-ray Player so they can watch it on their TVs.

The current economic slump is driving some consumers to and look for video content online. LG believes it can capitalize on this trend by making it easier for consumers to find entertainment online that can be viewed on their TVs.

"As millions of U.S. consumers view and download movies or TV shows through the Internet, they are demanding easier ways to access content and more home entertainment options," Tim Alessi, director of product development for LG Electronics USA, said in a statement. "From Blu-ray to instant streaming from Netflix to CinemaNow and YouTube, LG is bridging the gap between packaged media and video-on-demand services to provide entertainment solutions for consumers' demand for content."